FAQs
Here are some FAQ's
An air jacket is like a balloon, it will inflate both inwards and outwards. If it didn't inflate inwards it would not hold the body in the event of a fall.
A jacket that inflated outwards only would simply get pushed away from the body at the point of impact, offering very limited protection.
Can you still service older style jackets?
Unfortunately we are no longer able to service jackets that were manufactured pre October 2012. If you are unsure how old your jacket is simply give us a call, email us or start a live chat and we will be able to advise by simply asking a few questions. You can check the serial no on the label inside your vest and if it starts with a letter then it is the newer bayonet model.
Since Point Two introduced airbags to the equestrian world back in 2008, our goal has always been to make a recognised standard that all airbags are tested to.
BETA Level 3 standard for Body Protectors is a worldwide recognised standard. The beauty of this is that if your body protector is marked with this label you can be assured that the vest you are purchasing meets the minimum requirements of the BETA level 3 standard. So no matter if you’re spending £50 or £300 you are equally protected, therefore you as a customer are able to make an informed decision when it comes to your safety, unfortunately this is not the case with air vests.
Point Two’s goal when working with SATRA, was to make the step forward in creating a standard that all air vests should be tested to.
SATRA is a Notified Body for various European directives including personal protection equipment (PPE) and is one of only two recognised test houses that BETA accept test results from, despite there being over 100 test houses in Europe. The chances are that your BETA Level 3 body protector was also tested by SATRA.
SATRA along with the Injured Jockey Fund, Dr Michael Turner, Chief Medical Officer and Point Two, carried out extensive research to develop the M38 & M39 (jockey vest) standard which we believe all air vest should be tested to so that you, the customer are purchasing a safe and reliable product. We are pleased to see that other airbag companies are now following suit and are also testing to this standard, including Charles Owen. SATRA will not CE Mark any air vest unless it meets the M38 minimum requirements.
Unfortunately vests manufactured before October 2012 (screw fitting) do not meet the minimum requirements for the SATRA M38 standard, although at the time of production this was the highest standard possible. Therefore we are offering customers the opportunity to upgrade their old jackets for 50% off a new Point Two Air Jacket rather than spending £60 to service your old vests that do not meet the M38. Whilst we do appreciate that this is still a lot of money to spend, it is worth noting that when foam body protector and hat standards change, the manufacturers of those products do not offer this option and you are forced to spend more money to be able to compete.
Key features of the new ProAir2 airbag trigger system:
- Simple bayonet system making it easier and quicker to change the canister, reducing risk of improper installation.
- New simple way to tighten the end cap including handy allen key fitted to the trigger system & new hexagon component
- Every jacket has a foam pad behind the trigger & on opposite side for an even, comfortable fit as well as adjustable straps on both sides for a more customisable fit
- 20% faster to inflate - Point Two Air Jacket inflates between 60 and 80 milliseconds to absorb shock, distribute pressure and support a rider's spinal column.
- Lifetime warranty on the airbag component *subject to annual service
- Comes with 1 canister, saddle attachment & bungee lanyard
- Meets SATRA M38 standard
- New pleat neck & neoprene collar for additional comfort
Click for more information about upgrading your vests
Is it better than a foam body protector?
An air jacket will only offer protection when it is inflated, which it is designed to do in the event of a fall, so cannot, for example, offer protection when walking around the yard.
Air jackets undergo the same impact tests as traditional body protectors but offer a number of benefits including:
Once impacted, the performance of a foam body protector deteriorates (and should be replaced). An air jacket can be impacted multiple times on the same spot without any deterioration.
Impact performance of foam body protectors reduces with the increase in temperature, particularly above 30 degree C. Air jackets can be impacted above 30 degree C and will still pass the required standards.
Will I get winded? I have heard it could break my ribs.
This will NOT happen. Point Two has sold in excess of 50,000 jackets with not one single case being reported of someone being injured simply by the inflation. If this were the case would we be happy performing test inflations on customers in the store! It IS designed to hold you tight though - if it didn’t it wouldn't be doing its job.
What about in a rotational fall?
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee protection in every all circumstances (ultimately if the rider never leaves the saddle then the trigger mechanism cannot be activated). Saying that the trigger requires less than 1/100th of a second to inflate, and there are many documented rotational falls where thankfully riders have had that split second of parting for the jacket to inflate (Karim Florent Laghouag, Oliver Townend, Coral Keen, Laura Collett).
Will it scare my/other horses?
We can inflate a jacket in front of a row of horses and chances are they won’t bat an eyelid. In the event of a fall, with everything else that is going on such as the rider around the horse’s ears etc., the addition of a very quick sound is unlikely to make any difference to the horses reaction. Cannot deny that a horse may disappear across the next field - but that has always been the case. At the end of the day the jacket is designed to protect the rider in the event of a fall - if you have to recover your horse from next field - so be it.
Do I need to send it back to get it reset or if I fall off?
No - you will need to replace the canister, and reset the trigger. Both very simple procedures which are demonstrated in our video page. We do recommend however, if you were to have a particularly hard fall, or have 6 or more falls, that you send the jacket back to Point Two to be serviced. We recommend that, even if you haven't fallen off at all, you do send the jacket to us each year for a service so we can check everything is exactly as it should be.
Does it offer as much protection to the neck as other jackets?
Point Two air jackets have a continuous, single air bag design that ensures firstly there are no possible gaps in the areas protected (particularly between the base of the neck and the top of the back) and also helps increase inflation speeds. Point Two originally used a multi-chamber system which you may see on other jackets but moved away from it for the above reasons.
Do I need to wear it with a body protector?
You can wear the air jacket on its own and it will offer the protection it is designed to. Many people prefer the lightweight convenience of the air jacket compared with traditionally bulky foam body protectors.
However, in certain disciplines (for example eventing XC phase) the associations require a foam body protector be worn, and in these cases a Pro Air 2 air jacket would be worn over the top of the traditional body protector.
Point Two will always recommend that for the best protection an air jacket should be worn over the top of a body protector.
My child is growing quickly, what happens when he/she grows out of it?
Not a problem - Point Two are keen to ensure young riders have as much protection as possible, but they do grow! To overcome this we offer a trade-in. Simply send the jacket to head office, and you will be able to get a brand new jacket, the next size up. Contact our servicing department for further information.
How do I keep it clean?
You can sponge down the outside of the jacket with warm, soapy water but do not place in the washing machine. We recommend the jackets are serviced once a year, and at that time Point Two will remove the airbag and trigger mechanism and will carry out a full wash of the outer garment. Your jacket will be returned, like new.
How long do the canisters last?
There is no reason why, providing canisters and jacket are kept in dry environment that the canisters will deteriorate. To double check you can weigh the canisters Be sure though to always use Point Two canisters - there are inferior canisters being sold which will not have the required pressure in them and will likely not inflate the jacket in the event of a fall.